French Guiana

Previously delayed, the European Space Agency is ready to launch the Edoardo Amaldi this evening. The mission is to provide supplies to the International Space Station, including a spare Fluids Control Pump Assembly (FCPA). This is a critical component on the ISS used to recycle urine into drinkable water and the spare is going up with ATV-3.

Following ESA’s formal Launch Readiness Review on Monday, which revealed no problems with the vessel, the launch was officially set for Friday 23 March at 0434 UTC. This is Thursday evening at 9:34 PM Phoenix time, tonight.

On Wednesday, Ariane and ATV Edoardo Amaldi were rolled out to the launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana. The total vehicle mass is 777 tonnes –the heaviest ever for an Ariane. This ATV is also the rocket’s heaviest payload so far.

As the launch countdown progresses, we will add updates and images from Kourou. Live video from Arianespace can be seen here.

At the moment, it is 3:34 PM in Phoenix, and we are six hours from launch.

The Ariane 5 carrying ATV-3 rolled out to the launch pad yesterday, Wednesday.

The European Space Agency (ESA) added a new light launcher to the existing medium Soyuz and heavy Ariane 5 rockets available for satellite launches. The first Vega lifted off on schedule at 3:00 AM Phoenix time (1000 UTC), placing its payload of nine satellites in orbit.

A wide range of small satellites can be accommodated by the Vega rocket: from 300 kg to 2500 kg, depending on destination. The reference mission is a sun-synchronous orbit (700 km) for a 1500 kg satellite.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) newest launch vehicle VEGA is set for an inaugural flight on Monday, 13 February 2012. The vehicle is carrying nine satellites, and the launch window opens at 1000 UTC and closes at 1230 (3:00 AM – 5:30 AM Phoenix time).

The second stage has completed its powered phase at 25 minutes into the flight. The velocity at this time is 9.3 km per second. Altitude is about 1000 kilometers.

At 30 minutes into the flight, the altitude is now 1500 km, and the velocity has dropped to 8.64 km per second. The Hispasat satellite has separated from the second stage. It is now on its way to a geostationary orbit. Koreasat will separate at about 35 minutes into the flight.

Arianespace has rolled out its sixth Ariane 5 for its final mission of this year. The launch window on 28 December 2010 is scheduled to begin at 02:26 PM and end at 03:15 PM Phoenix time.

The workhorse vehicle was transferred to the ELA-3 launch zone from the Spaceport’s Final Assembly Building in Kourou, French Guiana, where the Ariane 5 was fitted with its dual-satellite payload of HISPASAT 1E and KOREASAT 6.

Ariane 5’s payload lift performance for this mission is a total of about 9,260 kg., which includes a mass of 8,170 kg. for its satellite passengers, along with the associated integration hardware and the launcher’s SYLDA multi-payload dispenser system.

Riding as the upper passenger in Ariane 5’s payload “stack” is HISPASAT 1E, which will be released at 27 minutes into the flight. This Space Systems/Loral-built satellite weighs approximately 5,320 kg., and is to provide high-quality capacity for Spanish operator HISPASAT’s new initiatives – which include direct to home television; digital terrestrial television; value-added broadband services in mobile, land and maritime environments; and high-definition television.

KOREASAT 6, which has an estimated liftoff mass of 2,850 kg., will be deployed from Ariane 5’s lower passenger position at approximately 34 minutes into the mission. Built by an industry team composed of Orbital Sciences Corp. and Thales Alenia Space for the Republic of Korea’s KT Corporation, KOREASAT 6 is to provide broadcasting and communications services across all of South Korea.

At 2:18 PM Phoenix time (21:18 UTC), we are on hold at T-minus 7 minutes due to weather.

At 2:30 PM, we are still on hold due to weather. All other systems are green.

In the meantime, Arianespace showed a review of the construction of the launch complex for the Soyuz system. The first Soyuz launch from Kourou is scheduled for April 2011. The manifest includes the Pléiades-1, ELISA (4 sats) and SSOT aboard a Soyuz-STA/Fregat vehicle.

At 2:40 PM Phoenix time, we have another 35 minutes in the launch window.

At 2:57 PM, the launch has been scrubbed and rescheduled for the same time tomorrow.

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David Brandt-Erichsen

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